What Breaking My Leg Has Taught Me

As a child, I was so jealous of my friends that broke bones, got to wear casts and of course, walk on crutches. Why were we so weird as children? I mean who the F wants to break a bone? And I have gone through my whole childhood, teenage years and twenties of not breaking a single bone…until now. Yep, 28 years old and I go and break my leg! How you ask? Lets just say that there was some alcohol involved, a revolving dance floor and a stranger standing on my leg 😐 OUCH!

However, me being me wanted to avoid going to the hospital at all costs so I just assumed that I had badly sprained my leg, got in my car the following day and drove home, screaming in agony every time I need to change gear.

It wasn’t until almost 2 days later that, after realizing I really couldn’t walk anymore, I went to the hospital where I was delivered the sentence I had been dreading – that I had in fact broken my leg and would not be able to walk or drive for AT LEAST 6 weeks.

My life had changed – WTF was I going to do!?

So once the x-rays had been done, the leg had been casted – life had to go on. But not really. Because I can’t bloody walk on two feet. I now have to spend an indefinite amount of time staying put, allowing the bones to heal.

So during my very still, non-moving time, it’s given me some time to reflect on the things I have learnt so far being a one-legged woman.

You can multitask while sitting still. It turns out you don’t have to move to be able to get stuff accomplished. In today’s day and age, being forced to sit still doesn’t mean you can’t multitask. All you need is a computer, a phone, and an internet connection, and you can do just about anything; work, text, talk, watch TV, play games, do your food shopping and more importantly – blog! Bottom line – stay productive! Being busy (sort of) has saved my sanity!

Tears will sneak up on you. No matter how positive you try to stay (yes, it could have been much worse) and how many chin-up days you have in a row, eventually, you will break down and cry because being laid up is hard. It’s hard on the body, it’s hard on the mind, it’s hard on everyone around you, and all that hardness will catch up with you – when you least expect it! So far I have cried in the car, while eating dinner and even while cooking dinner. Sometimes you just need to open the floodgates, that doesn’t mean you are crazy!

I really need to get in shape. Who knew climbing stairs or walking around the supermarket could be turned into a body torturing workout!?

Asking for help is tough. Friends and family will offer help, but it feels beyond awkward calling in favours. People are well-meaning but busy, just as we all are when we don’t have broken bones, and they won’t know how hard you have it.

Being disorganized won’t kill you. Not being able to keep track of where anything is, or being able to hoover up the crumbs on the floor, makes me feel like a failure. Not everyone, especially myself, can deal with helplessness – or mess. But when you are broken, you have to learn to give yourself a break.

Pampering is a life saver. Although it’s tempting to hibernate until you are healed, some thing are essential to feeling like you haven’t been living on another planet. Like getting your hair done. As superficial as it sounds, looking good is feeling good, and if you sacrifice your roots, your nails, or any other routine that makes you feel like you, you’ll only find yourself on a downward spiral.

The story gets old fast. Everywhere you go, people ask how you broke you leg. At first, you just feel grateful to be noticed, but pretty soon, you find yourself refusing to relive the same story yet again. Crazy desire to punch someone in the throat? Yeah that’s totally normal!

TV is necessary. When you’re laid up, all you want to do is pump yourself full of reality TV and Netflix series!

The outdoors is life. You’d think being forced into hibernation would rejuvenate you but the body really does crave the outdoors. Something as simple as being able to walk the dogs and breathe in the air makes you feel alive, and when you are without it for long enough, you wither!